ATI Pharmacology Proctored
2023 Retake 2 Exam
Section 1: Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics & Medication Safety (Questions 1–20)
1. A nurse is preparing to administer a medication that has a long half-life of 4 days. How
many times per day should the nurse expect to administer this medication?
A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. Four
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Medications with long half-lives remain at therapeutic levels between doses for
extended periods. A medication with a 4-day half-life would be administered once daily to
maintain therapeutic levels without accumulation .
2. A nurse is reviewing a medication order and notes the abbreviation "U" for units. What is
the appropriate action?
A. Administer as written
B. Clarify the order because "U" is a dangerous abbreviation
C. Assume it means milligrams
D. Double the dose
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: "U" is a dangerous abbreviation that can be mistaken for "0" or "4," leading to
tenfold dosing errors. The nurse should clarify the order and write "unit" .
3. A nurse is completing discharge teaching for a client who has a new prescription for
transdermal patches. Which statement indicates the client understands the instructions?
,A. "I will apply the patch to an area of skin with no hair."
B. "I will clean the site with an alcohol swab before I apply the patch."
C. "I will rotate the application sites weekly."
D. "I will place the new patch on the site of the old patch."
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Transdermal patches should be applied to clean, dry, hairless skin. Alcohol swabs
can irritate the skin and increase absorption. Sites should be rotated daily, not weekly. Placing a
new patch on the old site can cause irritation and inconsistent absorption .
4. A staff educator is reviewing factors that influence medication metabolism. Which factors
should the educator include as reasons to administer lower medication dosages? (Select all
that apply.)
A. Liver failure
B. Increased medication-metabolizing enzymes
C. Concurrent use of medication metabolized by the same pathway
D. Renal impairment
E. Young adult age
Correct Answer: A, C, D
Rationale: Liver failure decreases metabolism, increasing medication concentration.
Concurrent use of medications metabolized by the same pathway causes competition,
increasing concentration of one or both drugs. Renal impairment decreases excretion, also
increasing drug concentration. Increased metabolizing enzymes and young adult age would
require higher, not lower, dosages .
5. A client is prescribed a medication that is highly protein-bound. Which lab value should the
nurse monitor?
A. Albumin
B. Potassium
C. Creatinine
D. Hemoglobin
Correct Answer: A
, Rationale: Low albumin means more free (unbound) drug is available, increasing the risk of
toxicity. Highly protein-bound drugs require monitoring of albumin levels .
6. Which type of drug interaction occurs when one drug increases the effect of another?
A. Antagonistic
B. Synergistic (potentiating)
C. Additive
D. Idiosyncratic
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A synergistic (potentiating) interaction occurs when one drug enhances or
increases the effect of another drug. Additive means the combined effect equals the sum of
individual effects .
7. A nurse is preparing to administer a medication via nasogastric tube. Which action should
the nurse take first?
A. Flush the tube with 30 mL of water
B. Verify tube placement
C. Crush the medication
D. Administer the medication in divided doses
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Verifying tube placement is the first priority to ensure the medication is delivered
to the stomach and not the lungs .
8. A nurse is teaching a client about the onset of action of a medication. What does "onset"
refer to?
A. The time it takes for the drug to reach its maximum effect
B. The time it takes for the drug to begin producing a therapeutic effect
C. The duration of the drug's effect
D. The time it takes for the drug to be eliminated
Correct Answer: B
, Rationale: Onset is the time it takes for a drug to begin producing a therapeutic effect. Peak
is when it reaches maximum effect. Duration is how long the effect lasts .
9. A nurse is reviewing a client's medication list and notes a potential drug-drug interaction.
What is the nurse's priority action?
A. Administer both medications as ordered
B. Notify the provider and hold the medications until clarified
C. Document the interaction and continue
D. Reduce the dose of one medication
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The nurse should notify the provider about the potential interaction and hold the
medications until the order is clarified. Administering both could cause harm .
10. A nurse is preparing to administer eye drops to a client. Which actions should the nurse
take? (Select all that apply.)
A. Have the client lie on her side
B. Ask the client to look up at the ceiling
C. Tell the client to blink when the drops enter her eye
D. Drop the medication into the center of the client's conjunctival sac
E. Instruct the client to close her eye gently after instillation
Correct Answer: B, D, E
Rationale: The client should look upward to keep the drops from falling onto the cornea.
The nurse should drop the medication into the center of the conjunctival sac to promote
distribution. The client should close the eye gently to promote distribution .
11. A nurse is teaching a client about a sustained-release medication. Which instruction is
most important?
A. "Chew the tablet for faster absorption."
B. "Swallow the tablet whole; do not crush or chew."
C. "Take with grapefruit juice for better absorption."
D. "Dissolve the tablet in water before taking."
2023 Retake 2 Exam
Section 1: Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics & Medication Safety (Questions 1–20)
1. A nurse is preparing to administer a medication that has a long half-life of 4 days. How
many times per day should the nurse expect to administer this medication?
A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. Four
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Medications with long half-lives remain at therapeutic levels between doses for
extended periods. A medication with a 4-day half-life would be administered once daily to
maintain therapeutic levels without accumulation .
2. A nurse is reviewing a medication order and notes the abbreviation "U" for units. What is
the appropriate action?
A. Administer as written
B. Clarify the order because "U" is a dangerous abbreviation
C. Assume it means milligrams
D. Double the dose
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: "U" is a dangerous abbreviation that can be mistaken for "0" or "4," leading to
tenfold dosing errors. The nurse should clarify the order and write "unit" .
3. A nurse is completing discharge teaching for a client who has a new prescription for
transdermal patches. Which statement indicates the client understands the instructions?
,A. "I will apply the patch to an area of skin with no hair."
B. "I will clean the site with an alcohol swab before I apply the patch."
C. "I will rotate the application sites weekly."
D. "I will place the new patch on the site of the old patch."
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Transdermal patches should be applied to clean, dry, hairless skin. Alcohol swabs
can irritate the skin and increase absorption. Sites should be rotated daily, not weekly. Placing a
new patch on the old site can cause irritation and inconsistent absorption .
4. A staff educator is reviewing factors that influence medication metabolism. Which factors
should the educator include as reasons to administer lower medication dosages? (Select all
that apply.)
A. Liver failure
B. Increased medication-metabolizing enzymes
C. Concurrent use of medication metabolized by the same pathway
D. Renal impairment
E. Young adult age
Correct Answer: A, C, D
Rationale: Liver failure decreases metabolism, increasing medication concentration.
Concurrent use of medications metabolized by the same pathway causes competition,
increasing concentration of one or both drugs. Renal impairment decreases excretion, also
increasing drug concentration. Increased metabolizing enzymes and young adult age would
require higher, not lower, dosages .
5. A client is prescribed a medication that is highly protein-bound. Which lab value should the
nurse monitor?
A. Albumin
B. Potassium
C. Creatinine
D. Hemoglobin
Correct Answer: A
, Rationale: Low albumin means more free (unbound) drug is available, increasing the risk of
toxicity. Highly protein-bound drugs require monitoring of albumin levels .
6. Which type of drug interaction occurs when one drug increases the effect of another?
A. Antagonistic
B. Synergistic (potentiating)
C. Additive
D. Idiosyncratic
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A synergistic (potentiating) interaction occurs when one drug enhances or
increases the effect of another drug. Additive means the combined effect equals the sum of
individual effects .
7. A nurse is preparing to administer a medication via nasogastric tube. Which action should
the nurse take first?
A. Flush the tube with 30 mL of water
B. Verify tube placement
C. Crush the medication
D. Administer the medication in divided doses
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Verifying tube placement is the first priority to ensure the medication is delivered
to the stomach and not the lungs .
8. A nurse is teaching a client about the onset of action of a medication. What does "onset"
refer to?
A. The time it takes for the drug to reach its maximum effect
B. The time it takes for the drug to begin producing a therapeutic effect
C. The duration of the drug's effect
D. The time it takes for the drug to be eliminated
Correct Answer: B
, Rationale: Onset is the time it takes for a drug to begin producing a therapeutic effect. Peak
is when it reaches maximum effect. Duration is how long the effect lasts .
9. A nurse is reviewing a client's medication list and notes a potential drug-drug interaction.
What is the nurse's priority action?
A. Administer both medications as ordered
B. Notify the provider and hold the medications until clarified
C. Document the interaction and continue
D. Reduce the dose of one medication
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The nurse should notify the provider about the potential interaction and hold the
medications until the order is clarified. Administering both could cause harm .
10. A nurse is preparing to administer eye drops to a client. Which actions should the nurse
take? (Select all that apply.)
A. Have the client lie on her side
B. Ask the client to look up at the ceiling
C. Tell the client to blink when the drops enter her eye
D. Drop the medication into the center of the client's conjunctival sac
E. Instruct the client to close her eye gently after instillation
Correct Answer: B, D, E
Rationale: The client should look upward to keep the drops from falling onto the cornea.
The nurse should drop the medication into the center of the conjunctival sac to promote
distribution. The client should close the eye gently to promote distribution .
11. A nurse is teaching a client about a sustained-release medication. Which instruction is
most important?
A. "Chew the tablet for faster absorption."
B. "Swallow the tablet whole; do not crush or chew."
C. "Take with grapefruit juice for better absorption."
D. "Dissolve the tablet in water before taking."
